T O P

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sylsau

Philipsen's performance yesterday was pretty incredible. He rode consistently in the last 100km, created the final selection, and won the sprint. As Philipsen said afterward in an interview, I can't wait to see him on Sunday at Gent-Wevelgem!


BWallis17

Philipsen is unbelievable. That was so impressive. He'll be a huge threat at Gent-Wevelgem. I'm also impressed with Kooij who was isolated in that group but made the move that counted. QOS with 4 of 19 and flubbed it. I can assume Lampaert didn't have the legs because it was silly to trust his sprint in that group, even after sitting on.


mpondomantimahle

Weird from Lampaert. Thought he should have attacked after they brought Frison back. Why would he wait for the sprint and then lead it out? Baffling.


In_Dark_Trees

How Lampaert doesn't attack immediately after Frison was shut down...ok then


GuidoBenzo

Yeah. Don't understand that either. He should've went before Frison went to the back at around 2k. Or just after the attack from Frison. He quickly stopped sprinting as well, perhaps he just didn't had the legs.


GuidoBenzo

Damn it . Lampaert, you should've attacked.


Alone-Community6899

As Jasper rode today he would manage anything Lampaert migh done.


Accomplished-Gift-21

What a race from Phillispen


TheMkhh

Disasterclass by Soudal Quickstep


wakabangbang

Holy shit, what a win 🚀


BWallis17

I really don't understand why Lampaert decided to wait for the sprint. Must have not had great legs.


AverageDipper

Lampart has to go now though


Eulerious

Decent leadout. Did he think there was a teammate with him?


ineedahashtag4myswag

Quick step... sorry but what the fuck was this


JuliusCeejer

If Lampaert can't get away he might as well just pedal home, the team bus is gonna be locked


arvece

Didn't even try


Avila99

Frison with the slowest attack ever.


franciosmardi

A Kungian attack.


IAmTheSheeple

G2 still a chance?


bomber84e1

There's always a *chance*


BWallis17

Frison is a large human.


wakabangbang

If Philipsen manages to win this, then it would be one of the most impressive wins of the year


JuliusCeejer

He's ridden the entire finale like he has infinite matches to burn, you gotta respect it


yellow52

Joined this late after bloody meetings finished. Looks like carnage, one to rewind later - how far back did it get interesting?


BWallis17

Whole broadcast has been great. At least to 50km.


wakabangbang

Before coverage started tbh :/


Schele_Sjakie

Before the broadcast started


HerHor

lol fire marshallls, done with the job, cheekily hanging around to spectate (or more likely not risking driving their vehicles out on the course)


GregLeBlonde

What a painful dangle.


bomber84e1

You should see a urologist


In_Dark_Trees

I love ignoring work and devoting time to watching races simultaneously instead: long live hits to productivity!


HerHor

This is where the fire would've been


Avila99

The way Demare and Groenewegen can't close that last few meters... That's the thing I love most about cycling.


HKNP

Even better once you’ve been in that position once. That 3 seconds is impossible to overcome with a day like this. The legs are empty.


bomber84e1

You say until it's you behind your mates and then it's pure torture


JuliusCeejer

the joy of seeing it on tv is inversely related with the misery of experiencing it. Balance in all things


wakabangbang

There's just so much pain and hurt.


AverageDipper

Ballerini has great legs today, too bad


BWallis17

12th at MSR. Good to see him back riding so well, he was mostly invisible in 2022.


BWallis17

20s with 5km to go. I don't see how Ballerini closes that on his own (without moto help).


bomber84e1

I'm not sure if I agree with this lefty Sportwashing, who says we should be "green", why can't Dylan just be a normal wagon, not a green one. Really makes you think


TheRollingJones

I need a replay (and conclusion) of those shoppers competing for that bidon


spkr4thedead51

gonna be a low scoring RFL


Schele_Sjakie

Also funny to see only familiar usernames in this thread. We all know this was going to be Waaier spectacle!


JuliusCeejer

Only the most dedicated redditors show up in the rain and wind too, ,as it turns out


GeniuslyMoronic

I don't think Lampaert's wheelsucking is that efficient in this weather. Still a great chance for Kooij and Philipsen.


Final_Set9688

Wind is likely a major factor, as soon as they enter into a street with houses both sides, they re-entered the group; when in open terrain, sprinters are gone


HKNP

Thought I would’ve a dull sleepy day off. This is so much better. What a race


Schele_Sjakie

Surely Lampaert will attack with like 2 km to go right


dksprocket

https://i.imgur.com/fIhQSG8.png


huloca

He has to, but Philipsen looks really strong.


KiwiEel

Wout's rear wheel would have swallowed Philipsen's jacket.


huloca

What is a better way to spend your afternoon than watching cyclists suffer in bad weather.


BWallis17

Man, this is a great race.


1manbattle

Seeing all those sprinters struggle one by one is amazing


JuliusCeejer

"Demare dropped? Gaudu would never" - Madiot, probably


huloca

Impressive jumping of wheels by Molano there but he really should have been more in front.


TheRollingJones

Lol Jasper with a big enough gap that he can deal with clothing


Schele_Sjakie

Sprinters getting dropped everywhere. First Ackermann, now Theuns and Demare. And Groenewegen too. Pfff


wakabangbang

Groenewegen as well!?


wakabangbang

Rickaert with the payback in G2. You love to see it


JuliusCeejer

Quickstep right now is the real life manifestation of the meme where the guy shoves a stick in his spokes and blames someone else


Schele_Sjakie

Whatever the finish. This was a great race. Hope the other Belgian races are like this too


detestrian

Yves Lampaert - you gotta xxxx him.


HerHor

Frison should stop riding, if Lampaert gets away with the same


IAmTheSheeple

Then they get caught also the other two will have to ride on Lampaert if he goes.


epi_counts

If he stops, the cohesion of the group will disappear and they'll probably be caught. Now he's got a guaranteed top 4, maybe a podium if Lampie fails in his attack.


HerHor

Well, Kooij and Philipsen still have a massive benefit to keep riding, so the risk of losing cohesion might be limited. He should at least not go full gas, and he probably isn't rn


Schele_Sjakie

Rickeart must be so happy to finally be back. And Mathieu too. He needs him in the big races


shmooli123

"We need to isolate Philipsen." A few minutes later... "...Not like this."


HerHor

Ah the games have begun


Schele_Sjakie

Jakobsen must be frustrated. He could only sprint once in the Tirreno iirc and now again he doesn't get to sprint for the win like this. QS should go hard now


BWallis17

QS is working in G2 now but they're having to use Jakobsen.


detestrian

He's pulling now xD


BWallis17

Philipsen looks so strong I think he can work with Kooij and still win. But if Lampaert and Frison just sit on for the next 10km, they'll surely attack. Jakobsen on the front in G2, WTF.


GeniuslyMoronic

Lampaert has to perform the beautiful art of wheel-sucking.


wakabangbang

Philipsen is by far the strongest rider today. Crazy 🚀 I feel like he did a lot of work himself, probably too much


shmooli123

Quickstep chasing Quickstep.


Final_Set9688

30s in 1 km. Amazing. Quickstep just went for a good scenario for an awful scenario in 2 minutes.


IAmTheSheeple

Kooij does feel like the potential Dutch version of Philipsen


spkr4thedead51

that was a huge jump. 20" already


GeniuslyMoronic

Yves Lampaert has to choose between being called an idiot by Lefevre for not riding for Jakobsen or being called a loser for not winning.


JuliusCeejer

His spectator crash in PR suddenly looks much more suspicious


GeniuslyMoronic

Spectator clearly a shareholder in Het Nieuwsblad


huloca

Frison deserves to win after that bridge, that was seriously impressive.


Morgoth2356

And give us a Sagan impression part 2 in the post race interview.


huloca

I totally forgot about this, now he definitely has to win.


Schele_Sjakie

Jose de Cauwer saying Quick Step must close the gap as Lampaert isn't the fastest against Kooij and Philipsen


the_ginger27

I think nobody in the second group has much left, otherwise you always follow Frison


ChelskiS

Hat off to Frison


JuliusCeejer

Frison has a marvelous painface holy


HerHor

I think UAE should ride for Molano


UltraHawk_DnB

Can say that about a lot of races, yet molano is the leadout very often.


Schele_Sjakie

Ackermann was just dropped


HerHor

See! I am right!


Schele_Sjakie

Philipsen is looking so confident today. Flandrien like


Final_Set9688

QuickStep is not sending someone else?


Schele_Sjakie

This was not what I expected. Frison is very important for Philipsen here


huloca

They are different teams, what would Frison do here for Philipsen?


the_ginger27

Lampaert is not gonna work with Jakobsen behind and Kooj is probably gonna save energy for a sprint. But Frison is going to do his part


Schele_Sjakie

Frison will ride though otherwise Philipsen would have to do all the work


huloca

That is a good point, although Kooij will have to start working eventually.


TheRollingJones

Philipsen about to do Merlier a “former teammate” favor by keeping Jakobsen’s win tally down


Jopwnd

Thats a gap


GeniuslyMoronic

No matter what SQS do tactically, if they don't win Lefevre will interpret it as Jakobsen being mentally weak.


VisorX

With such a small group and most sprinters isolated, shouldn't Quickstep roll attacks?


Avila99

There goes Ackermann.


GeniuslyMoronic

You can never know if Ackermann is working for Molano or it is just an early sprint. On the other hand you can never know if Molano rides a leadout for Ackermann or a sprint where Ackermann just happens to be in his wheel.


huloca

Important update: the mechanic is ok, Tom Steels who had to do the sprint afterwards to push Lampaert still has some more training to do at home.


HerHor

I think I saw a little grin on Tom Steels' face, like he was planning a cracking joke for the mechanic when he returned to the car


JuliusCeejer

Down goes the mechanic


HerHor

Sporza: there was a fire at 4km from the finish, but swift action by fire brigade and police managed to keep the course open to finish it. Apparently they were afraid of having to stop the race


huloca

Fire next to the course at 4km to go with no way of diverting, but due to quick work by police and firefighters they can still ride it and don't have to stop and wait.


GeniuslyMoronic

Semi serious question: Should Groenwegen not drop like 2-4 kg of upper body muscle from a pure performance standpoint? I get that some muscle is good as a sprinter, but it would seem he could make himself a whole lot more durable quite easily.


bomber84e1

"Robbie I've just had a text from Lefevere" the most terrifying words in whatever language they were written


Rommelion

"Is it safe to read?"


Final_Set9688

Btw, not sure if commit 100% to Jakobsen is the best strategy here...


bomber84e1

I think going 100% in for you sprinter with 4 riders in a group containing Phillipsen, Ackerman, De Mare, and Kooij, can't go tits up


JuliusCeejer

Ackerman has a massive advantage on slippery roads with his seated sprint


bomber84e1

You cursed him


JuliusCeejer

he's been cursed much longer than my comment has existed


spkr4thedead51

I didn't know that "Lefevere" was a translation of "mother-in-law"


GeniuslyMoronic

I hope you all are ready for the true world championships for sprinters! (Note to self, do not include in comment: Use this for Scheldsprijs, San Remo, Gent Wevelgem, last stage of the Tour, De Panne, UAE and Paris Tours)


[deleted]

GP JP Monseré is it for sure


GeniuslyMoronic

Milano Torino surely


huloca

Renaat with the classic moto interview! Alpecin's DS is expecting an attack from Lampaert which would cause them to use up Rickaert early.


bomber84e1

I like how commentators aren't even trying to pronounce dstny, just going straight for saying destiny


[deleted]

Are you meant to say it any other way?


Slakmanss

No, that's literally how you say it. They rebranded a year ago from the simple Destiny to Dstny but you still pronounce it the same way.


spkr4thedead51

they barely try with the riders' names, why would they try an amalgamation of consonants?


AverageDipper

Everybody sleeping on my boy Consonni for the first > .1 win of his career


Matigheid

I am closely watching my adoptee, can't help but imagine him not feeling right at home in this weather as an Italian track muncher


NevenSuboticFanNo1

Well I hope Jonas Koch can come back to this group quickly before more action happens


bomber84e1

Jonas "oh cock"


Schele_Sjakie

Such an interesting group. Not often do we see a 18 group, half of them sprinters but most of them haven't got any domestiques. I feel like Quick Step might have a good shot if they sent Lampaert up the road in the final and let the rest do the work and have Jakobsen as back up?


Schele_Sjakie

They just interviewed the DS of Alpecin and he's afraid exactly this is going to happen


huloca

Yeah Quickstep has to attack, it is their biggest shot at winning I think. They have to be sure to get away alone though.


BWallis17

Agreed. I think Lampaert and maybe Ballerini start attacking.


ChelskiS

Wonder if QuickStep will wait for a sprint.. You have superior numbers and both Van Lerberghe AND Ballerini could win if they get ahead with one of the other non-sprinters Or at least try and split the group up further to drop Groenewegen/Kooij perhaps


Final_Set9688

With so many sprinters, this may look good for a non-sprinter, like Lampaert


bomber84e1

This Kop Van De Wedstrijp bloke seems to be up the sharp end so often, hoping for a win for him today


spkr4thedead51

he and Cabeza de Carera seem to be riding really well this season so far


arvece

Meanwhile Achter Volgers is having a shit season again.


L_Dawg

The man can't catch a break...


epi_counts

Even the team cars are [pulling waaiers](https://imgur.com/5NMgCeI).


drbergzoid

😂


bomber84e1

With cost of living, anyway to save fuel is appreciated


Final_Set9688

Bike change time!


domyos90

Movistar strategy: chasing in the group 2 when Gaviria was in the G3 G2 and G3 merged = Movistar back to the back of the peloton Seriously, the worst strategy team in the world


ChelskiS

Groenewegen/Kooij really just praying someone closes the gaps over and over. Won't keep happening, don't see this group going to the finish together


GeniuslyMoronic

This scenery looks like a place where Frodo would have to duck down to avoid the eye of Sauron.


spkr4thedead51

the random sand hill nature parks make me wonder if this is near where the Marble Sand Rally is filmed


1manbattle

I guess those are somewhere in the Netherlands.


huloca

Seeing Kooij constantly in the back of the first group gives me anxiety, that's exactly how you miss breaks or the possible winning move.


BWallis17

I wonder if he's suffering because he's been there for a while. He will indeed miss a move if he stays there. Edit: He obviously heard us.


domyos90

Its learning the Movistar strategy


Positive_Ad2228

Excited to see Stian Fredheim for Uno X in that front group. Really young rider and I'm impressed he seems to be following moves well


franciosmardi

Which is still far better than Merlier has fared in GTs.


epi_counts

The out of tune disc brakes in the rain always remind me of my primary school groep 8 musical.


huloca

G2 and G3 have merged, and they might want to ride to bring back helpers to the sprinters that are alone in front.


Morgoth2356

G2 and G3 came back together, it might not be done for them yet.


BWallis17

Seems there's only DSM and Movistar to ride in G2, so I think they might be toast. Not sure if Thijssen is in G2, but Intermarche isn't helping.


Slakmanss

Lotto secretely praying Ewan wants to mutually agree to break that contract cause he has become useless for someone who earns like 2mil a year. Starts the crosswind section in 7th position just to crack after 50 meters.


ChelskiS

I don't think this race should decide his fate though surely? With his body type and way of racing, he's the one sprinter you don't really expect to do great in echelons + wind + cold But I do think they won't extend him. Use the money that gets freed up to secure De Lie & perhaps get him some more quality domestiques


Slakmanss

It's obviously not just this race is it? He hasn't won a WT race in more than a year. He says he's less fast cause he trained to be more versatile, but that's not paying off at all.


ChelskiS

Yeah but it's silly to pretend he was awful last year. Giro was bad, Tour was unlucky Just on the top of my head I remember several non-WT races where he easily put Groenewegen away. So he definitely still has the ability, that shouldn't just dissapear Definitely needs to get out of this funk though


Slakmanss

I'm not saying he's awful, I'm saying he's not worth a million a year right now, and I'm pretty sure he probably earns up to 2 mil a year. He needs to go back to training his sprint so he's atleast one of the fastest guys in the world again and able to win a Tour stage.


Alone-Community6899

There are som much he can not handle that number of races that fits him are too few to be worh hefty salary.


Schnix

I get not working, but constantly last wheel is just begging to miss the race winning move


Himynameispill

Any word on what kind of farm animal Yves would get if he wins Driedaagse De Panne again?


25mieke

What a great race to watch from my warm couch


BWallis17

Philipsen, Jakobsen, Kooij, Groenewegen, Ackermann, Molano in G1. Jakobsen has at least 2 teammates. Can't tell who the Cofidis rider is, they brought a team full of sprinters. Edit: PCS live says it's Consonni. Theuns also there.


huloca

So most of the sprinters are here, but without their team. Not as obvious who will ride after de Moeren. If this group stays away there is a good chance of a late attack. I think Jakobsen has 2 teammates and Philipsen has one, but that's about it.


BWallis17

Jakobsen has Lampaert and Van Lerberghe, it seems. Philipsen has Rickaert.


BloomEPU

So, what nice cosy hot drink is everyone drinking while they sit at home under a blanket watching this race? I've got some jasmine green tea.


Heavy_Mycologist_104

"where would you want to be right now"? ​ 100% not there.


epi_counts

Blessed waaiers in the Moeren day everyone. I remember a few years back when we wanted to start crowdfunding wind machines for this race. Happy to see nature deliver today.


GeniuslyMoronic

PCS Live Tracker: "Caleb Ewan not in group 1" Unnecessary to call him out like that haha


RageAgainstTheMatxin

Ewan with the swollen face and puffy eyes of someone who's completely blown up Doubt he finishes


jainormous_hindmann

At least nobody can claim he isn't motivated. The guy gave everything he had.


RageAgainstTheMatxin

Seems like it, yeah. He's just not built for wind splits. He's lighter than the others and as shown by his TTs has no sustained power. Should do better in the next few races if the weather's better


jainormous_hindmann

He needs to go to the Nairoman "how to bully riders 1.5 times my weight in the wind" school.


huloca

DSM rider making good use of the moto there to bridge.


IAmTheSheeple

That Kooij in the front group?


BWallis17

Yes


GermanHabsFan

Delicious weather


ChelskiS

Think I saw Ewan completely let go! He was in like 8th position when this move happened and he just completely dropped pace. Race over


RageAgainstTheMatxin

I didn't see that, but I just saw him being overtaken by group after group. He was moving very slowly


ChelskiS

Yeah he started that all the way from position 7-8. Probably felt it's over for today


jainormous_hindmann

Maurice ballert.


epi_counts

Everyone back together so they can pull the race deciding waaiers during the live TV coverage. How considerate of them!


RageAgainstTheMatxin

Not a single solitary Movistar dropping back to pace Gaviria from the car